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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Belhaven University
http://www.belhaven.edu
Motto: “Non Ministari Sed Ministare (To Serve, Not to be Served)”
Type: Private, Presbyterian Affiliated, nonprofit 501(c)(3)
Established: 1883
Students: 2,330
Colors: Green and gold
President: Roger Parrott
Campus: 42 acres
Mascot: Blazers

Hinds Community College
http://www.hindscc.edu
Type: Community college
Established: 1917
Students: 19,500
Colors: Maroon and White
President: Dr. Clyde Muse
Campus: 6 campuses
Mascot: Eagles

Jackson State University
http://www.jsums.edu
Motto: “Challenging Minds, Changing Lives
Type: Public HBCU
Established: 1877
Students: 8,687
Colors: Royal Blue and white
President: Carolyn Meyers
Campus: 125 acres
Mascot: Tigers

Millsaps College
http://www.millsaps.edu
Motto: “Ad Excellentiam”
Type: Liberal arts college, Methodist affiliated
Established: 1890
Students: 1,118
Colors: Purple and white
President: Dr. Robert Pearigen
Campus: 103 acres
Mascot: Majors

Mississippi College
http://www.mc.edu
Motto: “Veritas et Virtus (Truth and Virtue)”
Type: Private, Southern Baptist affiliated
Established: 1826
Students: 5,008
Colors: Blue and gold
President: Lee Royce
Campus: 320 acres
Mascot: Choctaws

Holmes Community College
http://www.holmes.cc.ms.us
Type: Community college
Established: 1911
Colors: Maroon and white
President: Dr. Glenn Boyce
Campus: Ridgeland, Goodman, Grenada, Kosciusko/Attala Education Center
Mascot: Bulldog

Tougaloo College
http://www.tougaloo.edu
Motto: “Where History Meets the Future”
Type: Private, liberal arts HBCU
Established: 1869
Students: 939
Colors: Scarlet, Royal Blue
President: Dr. Beverly Wade Hogan
Campus: 500 acres
Mascot: Bulldogs

University of Mississippi Medical Center
http://www.umc.edu
Motto: “Pro Scientia et Sapientia (On Behalf of Knowledge and Wisdom)”
Type: Academic Health Science Center
Established: 1955
Students: 2,400
Colors: Red and Blue
Chancellor: Dr. Daniel W. Jones
Campus: 164 acres
Mascot: Rebel Black Bear

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.